Oh the Soo Line line was a mighty good line
The main railroad that ran through my town
was the Soo
This was when I was much younger
in the 1940’s
when we would run down to the depot
to see the mighty engines
rolling into town
There was a beat from the steam engines
One-two-three-four
One-two-three-four
and as they put on the brakes
steam flew from the sides of the engine
It was as though dry ice had been thrown
as a stage effect
we loved that steam
Flying in our faces
we danced around it
The main railroad that ran through my town
was the Soo
This was when I was much younger
in the 1940’s
when we would run down to the depot
to see the mighty engines
rolling into town
There was a beat from the steam engines
One-two-three-four
One-two-three-four
and as they put on the brakes
steam flew from the sides of the engine
It was as though dry ice had been thrown
as a stage effect
we loved that steam
Flying in our faces
we danced around it
A fog
And then the trainmen
how wonderful in their blue and white
striped denim overalls
would take out their pocket watches
out from their middle-upper pocket
and study the all-important time
the trainmans' chronographs
And then the trainmen
how wonderful in their blue and white
striped denim overalls
would take out their pocket watches
out from their middle-upper pocket
and study the all-important time
the trainmans' chronographs
so elegantly made
and worn on gold chains
not gold chains worn around the neck
of some trucker
like some sexy embellishment
for show
no, these were functional
and pocketed, only brought out
when the railroad time
called for it
which was often
These men were always checking
the time
How’s the time? How’r we doin’?
Those ticking watches were
The metronomes of careful life
if you worked on the railroad
Sections of track had to be kept free
for passing trains
and time was metered out
was the all-important thing
to avoid collisions on down the line
and worn on gold chains
not gold chains worn around the neck
of some trucker
like some sexy embellishment
for show
no, these were functional
and pocketed, only brought out
when the railroad time
called for it
which was often
These men were always checking
the time
How’s the time? How’r we doin’?
Those ticking watches were
The metronomes of careful life
if you worked on the railroad
Sections of track had to be kept free
for passing trains
and time was metered out
was the all-important thing
to avoid collisions on down the line
The railroad watch
Entrusted to the UPPER pockets
of the overalls
where they would be safest
while the men wielded huge-spouted oil cans
splashing oil on the giant wheels
and big watering chutes swung around
Entrusted to the UPPER pockets
of the overalls
where they would be safest
while the men wielded huge-spouted oil cans
splashing oil on the giant wheels
and big watering chutes swung around
and wood for caboose pot-bellies
was toted
And coal was shoveled into the engine
from the coal car, the 2nd car
behind the iron horse
by the firemen
and an engineer, if friendly, would wave
…………..
And now the Soo line’s
bustling baggage room
is long-shut down
A padlock on its paint-chipped door
hangs from a rusty hasp
Weeds grow in the cracks of
the derelict concrete platform
Nobody at the depot
nobody home on the tracks
Mostly trucks and airplanes
bring the bacon now
and wrist-watches are worn
and Exact time doesn’t matter as much
[dd 2-7-08]
was toted
And coal was shoveled into the engine
from the coal car, the 2nd car
behind the iron horse
by the firemen
and an engineer, if friendly, would wave
…………..
And now the Soo line’s
bustling baggage room
is long-shut down
A padlock on its paint-chipped door
hangs from a rusty hasp
Weeds grow in the cracks of
the derelict concrete platform
Nobody at the depot
nobody home on the tracks
Mostly trucks and airplanes
bring the bacon now
and wrist-watches are worn
and Exact time doesn’t matter as much
[dd 2-7-08]
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